UNIT 1 WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH PUBLIC HEALTH

UNIT 1 –WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH? PUBLIC HEALTH: SCIENCE, POLITICS, AND PREVENTION

WHAT IS PUBLIC HEALTH? • THE FULFILLMENT OF SOCIETY’S INTEREST IN ASSURING THE CONDITIONS IN WHICH PEOPLE CAN BE HEALTHY. • ORGANIZED COMMUNITY EFFORTS AIMED AT THE PREVENTION OF DISEASE AND THE PROMOTION OF HEALTH.

CORE FUNCTIONS OF PUBLIC HEALTH • ASSESSMENT • POLICY DEVELOPMENT • ASSURANCE

PUBLIC HEALTH VS. MEDICAL CARE • IN MEDICINE THE PATIENT IS THE INDIVIDUAL; IN PUBLIC HEALTH, THE PATIENT IS THE COMMUNITY • PUBLIC HEALTH DIAGNOSES THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY USING PUBLIC HEALTH SCIENCES • TREATMENT OF THE COMMUNITY INVOLVES NEW POLICIES AND INTERVENTIONS • GOAL OF MEDICINE IS CURE; GOAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH IS PREVENTION OF DISEASE AND DISABILITY

PUBLIC HEALTH: SCIENCE AND POLITICS • SCIENCE IS HOW WE UNDERSTAND THREATS TO HEALTH, DETERMINE WHAT INTERVENTIONS MIGHT WORK, AND EVALUATE WHETHER THE INTERVENTIONS WORKED • POLITICS IS HOW WE AS A SOCIETY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT POLICIES TO

PUBLIC HEALTH DISCIPLINES • EPIDEMIOLOGY • STATISTICS • BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES • ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE • SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES • HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

EPIDEMIOLOGY • THE BASIC SCIENCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH THE STUDY OF EPIDEMICS AIMS TO CONTROL SPREAD OF INFECTIOUS DISEASES SEEKS CAUSES OF CHRONIC DISEASE AND WAYS TO LIMIT HARMFUL EXPOSURES.

STATISTICS • COLLECTION OF DATA ON THE POPULATION • THESE NUMBERS ARE DIAGNOSTIC TOOLS FOR THE HEALTH OF THE COMMUNITY THE SCIENCE OF STATISTICS IS USED TO CALCULATE RISKS, BENEFITS.

BIOMEDICAL SCIENCES • INFECTIOUS DISEASES – PATHOGENS • CHRONIC DISEASES • GENETICS

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCE • HEALTH EFFECTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES • AIR QUALITY • WATER QUALITY • SOLID AND HAZARDOUS WASTES • SAFE FOOD AND DRUGS • GLOBAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE

SOCIAL AND BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES • BEHAVIOR IS NOW THE LEADING FACTOR IN AFFECTING PEOPLE’S HEALTH • THEORIES OF HEALTH BEHAVIOR: SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT AFFECTS PEOPLE’S BEHAVIOR • MAJOR HEALTH THREATS: • TOBACCO • POOR DIET AND PHYSICAL INACTIVITY • INJURIES • MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH – A SOCIAL ISSUE

HEALTH POLICY AND MANAGEMENT • ROLE OF MEDICAL CARE IN PUBLIC HEALTH • COST OF MEDICAL CARE IN U. S. IS OUT OF CONTROL • U. S. HAS A HIGH PERCENTAGE OF POPULATION WITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE – THESE PEOPLE OFTEN LACK ACCESS TO MEDICAL CARE • QUALITY OF MEDICAL CARE CAN BE MEASURED, AND IS OFTEN QUESTIONABLE.

PUBLIC HEALTH: PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION • APPROACH TO HEALTH PROBLEMS IN A COMMUNITY DESCRIBED AS A 5 -STEP PROCESS • 1. DEFINE THE HEALTH PROBLEM • 2. IDENTIFY THE RISK FACTORS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROBLEM • 3. DEVELOP AND TEST COMMUNITY-LEVEL INTERVENTIONS TO CONTROL OR PREVENT THE CAUSE OF THE PROBLEM • 4. IMPLEMENT INTERVENTIONS TO IMPROVE THE HEALTH OF THE POPULATION • 5. MONITOR THOSE INTERVENTIONS TO ASSESS THEIR EFFECTIVENESS

PUBLIC HEALTH: PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION • PRIMARY INTERVENTION – PREVENTS ILLNESS OR INJURY FROM OCCURRING AT ALL • SECONDARY INTERVENTION – MINIMIZES THE SEVERITY OF THE ILLNESS OR INJURY-CAUSING EVENT ONCE IT HAS OCCURRED • TERTIARY INTERVENTION – MINIMIZES DISABILITY BY PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE AND REHABILITATION

CHAIN OF CAUSATION • AGENT • HOST • ENVIRONMENT • INTERVENTIONS CAN FOCUS ON ANY OF THESE TARGETS.

PUBLIC HEALTH AND TERRORISM • EVENTS OF 9/11 AND THE ANTHRAX LETTERS HIGHLIGHTED THE IMPORTANCE OF PUBLIC HEALTH. • THE PUBLIC HEALTH RESPONSE TO DISASTERS, BOTH NATURAL AND MANMADE, HELPS TO CONTROL THE DAMAGE AND PREVENT FURTHER HARM TO SURVIVORS AND RESCUERS. • BIOTERRORISM IS RECOGNIZED PRIMARILY THROUGH CLASSICAL PUBLIC HEALTH MEASURES SIMILAR TO THOSE USED IN NATURAL EPIDEMICS.